Kentucky basketball target Jaden Hardy — and other star recruits — on ESPN2 Thursday
Five-star Kentucky recruiting target Jaden Hardy will be among several high school basketball standouts featured in a nationally televised tripleheader set to air Thursday night on ESPN.
Hardy — a 6-foot-4 combo guard from the Las Vegas area — was the first backcourt player in the 2021 class to land a UK scholarship offer, picking up that honor last year. For several months, it appeared that Kentucky was the clear favorite in his recruitment, though that narrative has changed. A jump to the G League — something college recruiters on Hardy’s trail have long feared — remains a possibility, and UCLA and other West Coast programs have also emerged more recently as possible frontrunners.
Still, the Herald-Leader was told that Kentucky will continue to pursue Hardy until he makes a final decision on his next basketball destination. The Wildcats already have a commitment from four-star point guard Nolan Hickman and remain a possible favorite for five-star point guard Hunter Sallis. They also have an early pledge from five-star point guard Skyy Clark, a class of 2022 recruit who still might reclassify to 2021.
Hardy is a singular talent in the 2021 class, regarded as the best perimeter scorer in the group and widely seen as a future NBA lottery pick. He also has dynamic skills on the ball and could play the point guard position at the next level. He’s the No. 4 overall player in the 2021 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
He will not make a college decision during the early signing period, which began Wednesday and stretches through Nov. 18.
Hardy’s team — Air Nado — will play in the final game of Thursday’s doubleheader with a tip-off scheduled for 10 p.m. on ESPN2. Their opponent will be CBC, which is effectively the Sierra Canyon (Calif.) High School team, UK freshman Brandon Boston Jr.’s alma mater. The star of that squad is 6-4 combo guard Amari Bailey, the No. 3 player in the 2022 rankings and a prospect already on Kentucky’s recruiting radar. CBC also features possible UK target Chance Westry (a combo guard ranked No. 27 nationally in 2022) and Bronny James, a 2023 recruit and the son of LeBron James.
The ESPN2 tripleheader begins Thursday at 7 p.m. with Lake Norman Christian (N.C.) — featuring star sophomore Mikey Williams — against perennial powerhouse Oak Hill Academy (Va.).
The 8:30 p.m. game should be a can’t-miss showdown. It pits Chet Holmgren — a unique 7-footer from Minnesota ranked No. 1 in the 2021 class by 247Sports — against Michigan State commitment Emoni Bates, the No. 1 player in the 2022 class and the consensus pick as the best prospect in all of high school basketball. Holmgren is not on UK’s recruiting radar and has not yet picked a school.
That game at 8:30 p.m. will also feature shooting guard Dillon Hunter, who plays for Bates’ team and visited Kentucky last winter. He is the No. 37 player in the class of 2022.
This story was originally published November 11, 2020 at 10:38 AM.
